Apple Inc. (AAPL) In 2014: What May Be In Store Next Year?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) certainly had a rough calendar year year, but it looks like the company will end things on a high note. So what’s ahead for 2014? Can we expect another rough patch, or is Apple largely recovered from the touch 2013? Lance Ulanoff of Mashable has collected some of the things we may be able to look forward to from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) this year.

Analysts have been saying for some time that wearable computing devices are the future. We’ve seen smart watches from Samsung and others this year, but Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has yet to show off a wearable device. So will 2014 be the year it does it? Ulanoff thinks so.

He points to the M7 motion processor in the iPhone 5S, which works together with the motion sensors in all new iOS devices. It also works with a number of third-party apps, like the Nike Move+ and others. In addition, he notes that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has added some key executives from the fashion industry to its roster: former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts and former Yves Saint Laurent CEO Paul Deneve.

Of course it’s worth noting that so far, smart watches really haven’t taken off, but Ulanoff believes that by the 2014 holiday season, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will have launched “the best-looking, most highly functional smartwatch on the market.”

Will 2014 be the year of the bigger iPhone / iPad?

Most people who follow Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPPL) are expecting to see an iPhone with a bigger screen, and Ulanoff agrees. He notes that this year’s launch of two new iPhones shows that Apple is willing to do two new phones at the same time if it feels the need to do so. Needless to say, if the company doesn’t deliver on this expectation, a lot of investors, fans and analysts are going to be highly disappointed.

There have also been rumors recently of a larger iPad, but analysts are split on these rumors. Some of those who spoke to Mashable don’t buy those rumors because they don’t see why Apple would do it.

What about Apple’s rumored TV?

And then there have been the rumors of the smart television set. Some analysts have been predicting such a device would arrive as early as last year or even some time this year. However, it hasn’t surfaced. So will Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) deliver on this rumor in 2014? Not everyone is convinced, particularly because the Apple TV set top box didn’t get a refresh this year. It’s definitely due for a refresh, and some speculate that the company is waiting to put in a motion sensor from PrimeSense, an Israeli sensor maker acquired by Apple this year.

So what do you think 2014 will bring? New products, or just more of the same?